Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Dogs

I was looking at my dogs today, laying on the floor in my office, just hanging out. And realized I can't go anywhere without them shadowing me. I really don't think that it's because I treat them all that special, apart from being the one who feeds them, takes them for walks, uses them to clean up the bits of food I drop on the floor when I'm cooking. I don't really play with them, apart from throwing the occasional ball, but I do let them go for car rides with me whenever I can. But they're my buddies, and I can't go anywhere in the house without them being there. They would follow me into the shower if they could, except for the fact that they don't like baths. They do like the water though. They'll play for hours in the ocean, chasing balls. I guess what it boils down to, is this, they're family, and family hangs out together.

Our last three dogs have been rescues, and I would urge everyone who wants a dog to consider a rescue. They tend to be very grateful and make great dogs. At least our last three have. Our first rescue was a small gray poodle called Kody. He was an owner surrender, and then went to a home with a small child who tormented him. They got rid of him because he was 'vicious'. Hey, if someone constantly pulled my tail and ears I'd nip them too. Kody was unique. He was constantly looking to be challenged, loved to play fetch, loved the water, loved to figure out stuff. He could keep up with the big dogs when they went into the water to fetch balls, and he loved riding on the waverunners with us.

And then there's Mauli, we'd actually acquired her a few days before Kody passed. With her we couldn't make up our minds if we wanted a big dog or another poodle, so we compromised. And Mauli has now been with us for 11 years. She was a rescue, in the sense that she was a breeder, who was a lousy mom. And we didn't want to see her continue as a breeder, which would have been her fate. So we got her and found out she would rather play with her ball than eat or sleep or ... She also loves to dress up. I only found this out because one Christmas while putting away some ribbon, she kept bumping the hand that had ribbon dangling from it, until I finally draped it around her neck. She wore that ribbon for quite awhile. Then we just started tying bandana's on her and changing them almost daily. Although there was the year we dressed her up for Mardi Gras and she paraded around with her finery and loved all the attention she got.

And last and certainly not least, we have Chimi, who also is a rescue. We got her after she'd been found tied in a backyard for months, during a harsh winter up north. She was so malnourished and had never been groomed that when we took her to our groomer to have her groomed, the groomer told us that if she hadn't known us so well, we would have been turned into the Humane Society.

Chimi before being groomed.

After the grooming.

And she has blossomed with us. She loves to play with her big sister Mauli, still teases her, and runs and jumps and is a joy, and being the little sister, is also a bit of a brat. But we love her anyway.
They love to play in the water.